


Autumn Painting

by canary_blues



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-15
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-29 10:36:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/685975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canary_blues/pseuds/canary_blues
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>RotG Kink Meme Fill: According to folklore, Jack Frost not only brings crisp, cold weather, but he also paints the leaves red in autumn. And I was wondering, how would that translate to RotG?<br/>So, say the Man in the Moon gives Jack a little side job to keep him busy when it's not winter. Trouble is, Jack may be an artist with frost, but he can't paint for shit. Bunnymund, however, can, so Jack goes to him for some lessons...</p><p>I'd really like established relationship fluff, but smex is fine too. :></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bunny is Unimpressed

**Author's Note:**

> Un-betad but there shouldn't be too many errors. Sorry if there are.

Its not until a year after defeating Pitch and Jack's second autumn as a guardian rolls around that anyone even finds out about it. One of the fairies is on its way to pick up an eight year old girl's tooth, a canine that went into a candied apple and didn't come out again, when she sees Jack floating over a tree and haphazardly whacking at the leaves on top. She pauses long enough to see the assaulted leaves turn a sickly yellow in uneven and ugly blotches. Jack looks completely uninterested in his task as he moves to the next tree and repeats his stick waving.

She tells Tooth what she saw and then there's an extremely puzzled buzz of conversation before everyone turns back to collecting teeth. When Sandy swings by a few days later Tooth mentions the incident and he tells North when he stops by the Pole the following week. North, already well into Christmas preparations, laughs.

“Is strange, but nothing to worry about. He has reason I'm sure.”

Bunny finds out on his own. He's visiting Sofie when he sees Jack drag his staff through treetops as he lazily follows the breeze.

“The heck ya doin'?”

Jack jerks to a halt when his staff catches on a branch. “Changing the leaves?”

Bunny pulls a leaf free and inspects it. “You're terrible.”

“Excuse me?” Jack lands in front of him in a huff. “I've been doing this for years.”

“Look at this mess!” He waves the leaf in Jack's face. “Your colors don't blend and look at these lines! This looks like you just threw paint and hoped some would stick.”

“How else am I supposed to do it? Do you know how many leaves I have to turn?!” Jack snatches the leaf away and tosses it aside. “So what if they aren't pretty?”

“So what?! Don't you have any pride in your work?” 

“Its leaves! Nobody cares!”

Bunny crouches and picks a still green leaf from the ground and pulls out a paintbrush. “C'mere kiddo.” Sofie hops over from where she'd been digging for worms. “Which ah these d'ya like better?”

He holds up the leaf he just painted and the one Jack had. She tilts her head and looks between the two before grabbing the one Bunny painted. “This one! 'S pretty!”

Jack rolls his eyes. “She's playing favorites.”

“Or you're just no good at paintin'.” Bunny ruffles Sofie's hair and gently nudges her towards her house. “Go home to your mum.”

“Bye hop hop.” She takes her time walking over to the door and carries the leaf inside with her.

“She totally played favorites.”

Bunny shakes his head and stands up. “I can teach you to paint. Still won't be any good this batch but next year you'll be better.”

“You'd teach me to paint.” Jack raises and eyebrow and doesn't try to keep the skepticism out of his voice.

“Offered, didn't I? Probably won't be able to start til after the New Year since you got work ta do right now. We can start while I work on Easter.”

“Really?” There was an edge of excitement in Jack's voice that clearly wasn't supposed to be heard if his face was anything to go by.

“Yeah. Whenever you want to start tap on the ground twice when you want into the Warren.”

“And you'll teach me to paint.”

“And I'll teach you to paint.” Bunny taps the ground and opens a portal. “Let me know when you got time.”

“I will.” Jack's grinning when he jumps into his tunnels and heads home.


	2. Learning New Skills is Frustrating

The day after Christmas Jack taps twice on the ground and is delighted when a hole opens for him. Its takes him forty minutes of aimless and increasingly annoyed wandering to find the main cavern and Bunnymund.

“Took your time.”

Jack glares and sits down next to him. “Are we going to paint or what?”

Bunny lets the egg in his hand hop to the ground and run over to join the group of painted brethren waiting off to the side. “Yeah, yeah, no need to cop an attitude. Pick a brush and a color.”

Its a complete disaster. For all the detail that goes into his frost, Jack can't paint a target on a bullseye. Bunny stares in horrified fascination at the egg sitting in the grass between them.

“I don't even have paint that color. How did you get that color?”

“I don't know?” Jack pokes at the egg half heartedly. 

“That color doesn't even exist in nature.”

“Can we focus on something other than the color?”

The egg is the color of strained peaches if the peaches had been thrown up by someone who'd also eaten an abundance of green highlighter ink. It was overall unpleasant to look at and seems like it should smell like the inside of an abandoned but not empty meat locker.

Bunny covers his face with his paws and takes a deep breath. “Okay. So your first try isn't so good. That's fine.”

“Its really awful isn't it?”

“Yes. But that's okay, we'll work on it.”

“Maybe its better if I keep doing it my way.” Jack runs a hand through his hair. “Halfassed or not, the job gets done.”

“This is a minor setback. Let's just not mix colors this time, yeah?” Bunny hands him a new egg and sets about trying to salvage the strained highlighter peach one. “Just paint it one color and then we'll work on patterns.”

The second egg gets a coat of royal blue and the paint is decent if a little uneven in places. “I don't think I'm very good at this.”

“Its fine, paintin' isn't as easy as everyone seems to think.” Bunny passes him a brush with finer bristles. “Okay, patterns are the fun part. Just try somethin' simple, like spots.”

He looks up two minutes later and has no idea where Jack got neon pink paint from. Jack glances up and frowns at him. “What?”

“Are you not seein' the problem with those colors?”

Jack looks at the egg. “No? What's the matter with them?”

“What's-Jack, those colors don't go together.”

“Why not?” Jack frowns at the egg.

“Because neon pink doesn't go with anything.” The egg wiggles out of Jack's hand and joins the group of painted eggs. Bunny watches it go with a pained expression but doesn't stop it.

They spend the rest of the afternoon learning color combinations and why neon colors should never be used for anything except raves. Bunny also quickly discovers a slight problem with Jack helping him paint eggs.

There are two eggs standing before them, both with a finished coat and waiting for detail work and Jack, under Bunny's watchful eye, is trying to find a complimentary color. His hand is hesitating over a paint that would go nicely with the darker of the two eggs. He glances up at Bunny for encouragement before picking up the lighter egg and dipping his brush into the paint.

“Nah mate, use that one on the other egg.”

Jack looks from the egg in his hand to the one in the grass. “Why?”

“It'll go better with the darker green.”

The paintbrush's handle is tapped nervously against Jack's leg. “But they're the same color.”

Bunny's ears twitch forward and scoops up another two eggs. “What about these?”

“They're both blue?”

“But is it the same shade of blue?”

“No?” Jack fiddles with the egg in his hand. “Is something wrong?”

Bunny sighs and puts the eggs down carefully. “Okay, no big deal. Doesn't matter too much in leaf changing.”

“What doesn't?”

“You being colorblind.”

“What?”

“Partially.” Bunny amends. “You can see most colors fine. Its probably red/green, its not that uncommon in humans.”

“I'm not colorblind, I would have noticed.”

“Partially colorblind. And most people don't notice it.” Bunny shrugs and switches the egg in his hand for the other. “S'okay. Clearly doesn't affect the way you do yer job.”

Jack looks like he's about to throw the egg in his hand. “Well great! This has been a swell waste of an afternoon.” He shoves the egg into Bunnymund's paws and snatches up his staff. “I'll see you later.”

“Oi, you can't just-” But Jack is already in a tunnel and out of sight. “Brat.”


	3. Sandy is basically a 6 year old

Three days later Bunny hears a hesitant double tap on the ground and opens a portal. It only takes Jack thirty minutes to find him this time and Bunny knows he's dragging his feet.

“What'dya want frostbite?”

Jack is shifting nervously and sits down a fair distance away from him. “Sorry. About the other day. I got frustrated.”

Bunny hums in acknowledgement and nudges an egg over to Jack. “Give it a solid coat and then I'll teach you how to do web patterns. You can use that for your leaves next year.”

The egg is painted a soft purple and the webs are blue. It takes sixteen eggs to really get the hang of it but Jack's hands are steady and Bunny is patient.

“You got an eye for detail, I'll give you that.” Bunny turns the egg and inspects it carefully. “If you put half this work into your leaves it'd be a thing of beauty.”

“I still don't really get how I'm supposed to do this with leaves. I can't paint them all by hand.”

“No, course not.” Bunny hands him another egg. “Let's learn how to blend now.”

“I thought I was't allowed to mix colors?”

“We're not mixing, we're blending. Scoot closer so you can see what I'm doing.” Jack presses into his side. “This might be harder for you since you gotta pick colors that look good together.” He explains while he paints and the end result is an egg colored to look like a sunset. “We'll start you off simple, just two colors.”

They spend a week learning how to properly match and blend colors and Jack eventually learns to just ask Bunny when he can't tell the difference between colors. A month into lessons Sandy stops by to make sure Bunny isn't stressing himself out over Easter and finds them trying to paint eggs plaid. 

“Hey Sandy.” Bunny doesn't look up from his egg but Jack is totally ready for a distraction. “What's up?”

The sand above his head forms into Jack and a question mark.

“He's teaching me to paint. Apparently my leaves weren't up to his standards.”

“Those leaves didn't even know what standards were.”

“I think I did okay.”

“Yeah, if you wanted everyone to think you were a talentless hack.”

Jack huffs and kicks lightly at the pooka's leg. “So what's up?”

Sandy shrugs and the sand forms a plank that has a screw partially undone. Bunny rolls his eyes and snorts. “I aught to have a screw loose after spending so much time with this brat.”

“Whatever, you love me.” Jack sets his egg on the grass and stretches. “Okay, I don't think I can hold another paintbrush today.”

“Good, gettin' tired of lookin' at your face.”

“My face is awesome.” He stands up and brushes his pants off. “I'm gonna go see if Jaime is home form school. I'll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see yah. Paisley tomorrow.” Jack winces but nods before taking off down one of the tunnels. There's a moment of silence before Bunny shoots Sandy a warning look. “Don't start.”

Sandy smile placidly and holds his hands up. Bunny glares at him suspiciously before picking up another egg. Sandy floats down to the grass next to him and settles in, leaning comfortably against a mossy stone. He's staring expectantly at Bunny until he's finally grinding his teeth in aggravation. 

“What?!”

A tree forms above Sandy's head and Bunny throws a paintbrush at him when a sand versions of himself and Jack appear. “What are you, six?”

Sandy's entire body shakes as he laughs silently.

“Rack off.” Bunny grumbles and rubs at his eyes. “Not everything has to have romantic overtones just cause you spend all your time reading those trashy dime novels.”


	4. North has the subtlety of a drunk rhino

By the end of month two Jack could paint a number of impressive but ultimately useless patterns and knew how to blend and match colors as well as any artist. He still wasn't allowed to mix colors because every time he did he somehow ended up with that awful strained peaches and highlighter green abomination. Neither one was entirely sure how he managed it but he did so Bunny finally just told him to not mix paints. 

The eggs are ahead of schedule so Bunny is focusing on making chocolates and Jack continues to paint and eat any candy Bunny will give him.

“Try this one.” Jack pops the chocolate in his mouth without question and almost immediately spits it out. “Not good?”

“Oh my god, what is that?” Jack scrapes his tongue on his front teeth and grimaces. “Ew.”

“Its peach liqueur. I think its more North's speed.” Bunny hands him another candy. “Here, this one you'll like.”

Jack bites into it and quickly shoves the other half into his mouth. “Make more.”

Bunny laughs and shakes his head. “I'm not makin' these just for you. Will the kids like 'em?”

“Yes. Make more.” They're six batches of candy and twenty eggs painted in when North comes crashing into the Warren. 

“Bunny! Sandy says you're making chocolates! Hello Jack!”

“Hey.”

“Don't you touch that pot.” Bunny waves his wooden spoon threateningly. “You can have the rejects over there on the counter.”

North descends upon the pan of candies like a tornado on a Kansas farmhouse. Jack watches in appalled amazement and politely refuses any liqueur chocolates offered.

“You got manners, North, use 'em.” Bunny watches North disapprovingly. “Be a good influence on the little miscreant.”

“Miscreant?” Jack presses a hand to his chest in mock hurt. “I thought we were friends.”

“Button up, you.” Bunny tosses a chocolate and Jack leans forward to catch it in his mouth. “And you,” He points his spoon at North. “What?”

North is chewing and watching them thoughtfully.

“Go put that one with the rest of the flock.” Bunny shoos Jack out of his kitchen and rounds on North. “If you've been talking to Sandy-”

“He has interesting point.”

“He most certainly does not.” The spoon is jabbed into North's chest. “You listen to me, you old burglar-”

“Burglar! I was king of thieves not burglar! How dare you!”

“You will not be botherin' Jack and fillin' his head with all kinds of nonsense.”

“Does not look like nonsense.” North gently pushes the spoon away from his shirt. “Is it bad thing? To have someone close?”

“I don't need-”

“Are you guys fighting?” Jack looks nervously between the two. “Should I leave?”

“No, no!” North waves off his concern. “Having discussion, not argument.”

“Bout what?”

“About office romance.”

“Are you going to ask Tooth out?” Jack frowns at them. “I don't think she has time to date.”

“No, not Tooth.”

“Are you asking Bunny out?”

“What's with that tone?” Bunny demands.

“Sandy?”

“I am not asking anyone out.” North insists firmly. “Entirely hypothetical conversation.”

“Okay.” Jack draws the word out and raises an eyebrow at Bunny who only shrugs. “I think I'm heading out. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, go on.”

North listens to Jack's wind whistle through the tunnels and waits until he can't hear it anymore to turn back to Bunny who was determinedly stirring his chocolate. “You would make cute couple.”

Bunny's spoon hits him square in the chest and completely ruins his shirt forever.


	5. Tooth misses her brother

Tooth shows up the day after Easter and finds them sprawled out on the grass. She flutters over them and doesn't seem to notice the more concerned/uncomfortable Bunny gets the longer she goes without saying anything.

“No painting today?” She asks finally and lands in the grass next to their heads.

“Taking a break for a few days.”

She nods and brushes grass off Bunny's head. “Heard you had a lot of help this year.”

“Mmm. Little bugger's all right when he's not being a menace.”

Jack mumbles tiredly and rolls onto his side. “Not a menace.”

Tooth smiles and runs a hand through Jack's hair until he's practically a pile of gooey sleepiness. “You worked him too hard.”

“Wouldn't take no for an answer.” Bunny arches off the grass and stretches until his back cracks. “Insisted on doing a little bit of everything.”

“Well he doesn't have a holiday, can't really blame him for wanting to know what its like.” She tugs lightly at his ear. “So how are the painting lessons going?”

“Good, kid's got talent. You should see the detail he can fit on a chicken's egg.” 

“Any progress actually related to changing leaves over?”

“We're working on it. What we need to do is figure out how he gets the things in his head to come out his staff.” Tooth giggles and Bunny rolls his eyes. “Mature.”

“Maybe you're over thinking it.” She pauses combing Jack's hair and tweaks Bunny's ear affectionately. “Maybe its just a matter of not trying and waiting for it to happen naturally.”

Bunny cracks an eye open and looks at her accusingly. “We're not talking about leaf changing anymore are we?”

“North and Sandy may have mentioned a few things.”

“You lot.” He snorts. “You're worse than a grannie's sewing circle.”

“You love us anyway.”

“Manny help me, but I do.” He presses into her hand when she scratches behind his ear. They're silent for a long few minutes, enjoying the quiet company. Bunny is almost asleep when Tooth speaks again, more quietly than before.

“I think the reason North and Sandy want you two to happen so badly is because you're so similar. We're all one of a kind in our own way but you two were both alone so much longer than any of us. Once you stopped fighting each other and started being yourselves you both just,” She stops and frowns slightly. “I guess you both settled, sort of.”

“Settled?”

“Mm-hm. I can't really say for Jack, I mean, we all heard rumors and such about him but we don't really know what he was like. But we knew you. And you've just. Settled.”

Bunny snorts quietly. “Still don't know what you mean.”

“Like, okay.” She raises her hands like she can grab her thoughts and shape them into words. “You've been this big, bad warrior guy who protects for nearly as long as I can remember. But you weren't always a warrior first and foremost. And when you're down here, teaching Jack to paint and showing him how to exist with other people again its like you're not just the Easter Bunny. You're Aster again. And Aster does things like laugh at silly jokes and invent new flavors and has the patience and makes the time to teach someone something new just for the sake of sharing knowledge.”

She falls silent again and lets her hands rest in her lap, looking at Bunny imploringly in hopes that he understands what she's trying to say. “I miss Aster.” She says finally.

“I do too.” Bunny admits softly. “I guess I sort of forgot how to be Aster. Not a lot of situations where a time traveling, immortal scholar is needed more than a warrior.”

“I think Jack could use a time traveling, immortal scholar.” Tooth has a far off look in her eyes as she stares at the mossy rocks around them. “And I think Aster could use some Jack too.”

Bunny looks over at the sleeping boy that's all but cuddling the little egg that had refused to leave his side. “Maybe Aster could.”

Tooth smiles at him and its a mix of almost motherly pride and the kind of hope that goes with loving someone with all you have. “You're such a silly old rabbit.”

“Hush, song bird.”


	6. Staffs are less effective than brushes

Lessons resume a week after Easter and they focus more on using the staff to create colors than painting eggs. Making colors was turning out to be much more difficult that making frost. Jack nearly throws his staff in frustration at one point and Bunny decides they need a break.

“Just sit down and take a breather.” Bunny hands him an egg and a paintbrush and Jack can feel his anger melting away with the now familiar motions.

“I'll never be able to do this.”

“Nonsense. You've made great progress.”

“I can't make colors.”

“Maybe not but look at the lattice you've got on that egg already.” Jack scowls at the egg. “North can't even paint a straight line.”

“That's great but this isn't my job. I'm not any better at doing my job.”

Bunny sits back and drums his fingers against the grass. “Maybe we're trying too hard. How'd you first learn to make your frost?”

“I didn't learn anything. I woke up and could do it.”

“Its the same for the colors right? You can make them without instruction you just can't do details with it like you can your frost.”

Jack shrugs and draws a generic flower on the egg. “I guess. Its always just happened when I needed it to.”

“You've never tried to change leaves out of season?”

“Never saw the point.”

“Okay, let's try something else.” Bunny presses a paw to the grass and when he raises it a stalk covered in leaves rises from the ground. “C'mere.”

Jack slides off his rock and settles cross legged in font of Bunny. “This is dumb.”

“Your face is dumb. Try to change the leaves' colors. No details or specifics, just change them the way you usually do.”

Jack sighs and touches the crook of his staff to the highest leaf. Its turns from a lush, healthy green to a soft yellow.

“Now try to blend some red into it.” 

He lets out a slow breath and urges the leaf to change. The yellow closer to the edges starts to darken and it spreads inward and soon the leaf goes from yellow to orange to red.

“Good. See? Progress.” Bunny ruffles Jack's hair. “We'll have some proper autumn leaves in no time.”

Jack bats his hand away but can't stop smiling. “You're a dork.”

Bunny smiles and leans back on his arms. “Go get a piece of chocolate and we'll call it a day.”

“Already?”

The pooka hums and nods. “We aren't getting better results than that today. Go run off and cause trouble or property damage. Whatever it is you do when among humans.”

Jack hesitates and fidgets with his staff. “Could I hang around for a little longer? Jaime's still probably in school and I don't really have anything to do yet.”

“Yeah, sure.” Bunny waves a paw and smiles wider. “Have I ever told you about the time North was almost sacrificed to a volcano spirit?”

“No.” Jack perks up and leans forward eagerly. 

“Katherine tells it better 'en me but we'll just have to make do for today.”

“Katherine?”

“You haven't met her yet. She and Nightlight aren't around much, they travel a lot.” Bunny stretches his arms above his head. “She's North's little sister. By choice, not blood. You probably know her as Mother Goose.”

“No.” Jack's mouth goes slack. “North's sister is Mother Goose?!”

“Yeah, and let me tell you; she got the short end of that stick.” Jack laughs. “But anyway, the volcano story. You can't tell North I told you this.”

“Promise.” Jack settles in and Bunny tells him the story they all swore to never tell anyone.


	7. Things end on a good note

In the end, the simplest solution is the right one. Now that Jack knows how to paint the patterns, now that they're familiar to his hands and his mind, its just a matter of not trying so hard. Its a month before autumn is going to start that Bunny realizes they've done exactly what they set out to do. 

Jack is leaning against a tree by his pond, staff in hand and the crook resting against the trunk. Bunny watches the curling, reaching yellow spread from the stem to the tips. Watches the delicate veins of red spread and dance across the leaves until they're a gorgeous patchwork of colors perfect for fall and looking like they're straight from a painting.

“Hey.” Jack flinches and nearly slams his head into the tree when he jerks around to look at him. Bunny merely smiles and points to the changed leaves above the boy's head. “Beautiful work, Frost.”

Jack turns a beaming smile to Bunny and the pooka feels his breath catch at the expression. Its the look he's seen hundreds of thousands time before on the faces of children. Its a look of pure delighted glee and pride at a task well done.

Its probably the most wonderful thing he's seen in a very long time and it gets even better when Jack laughs and throws his arms around him. Bunny hugs him back just at tightly and neither of them let go for a long time.

“Thanks, Bunny.” Jack says when he steps back. “They really do look better than before.”

“I told you so.” Bunny presses his forehead to Jack's. “Come on down to the Warren. We can celebrate with the latest batch of chocolates.”

“Yeah.” If Jack sounds a little breathless when he answers Bunny isn't going to say anything. He taps on the ground and hops down into the tunnel and waits for Jack to land on the ground next to him. “Can I call you Aster?”

Bunny glances at him and Jack is determinedly not looking back. “Yeah, I'd like that.”

Jack's shoulders relax minutely before he hesitantly takes Bunny's paw in his hand and leans against his side. 

Aster smiles and squeezes his hand. “North and Sandy will never let us live this down.” Jack's laughter bounces off the walls of the tunnel and makes the Warren feel more like home than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to anon on DW for reminding me to actually make an account to post my junk on.


End file.
